THE USE OF BOOKS. 



An iavaluable book for the adalt student and one 

 interesting even to the general reader, is the Study 

 of Animal Life ( Murray : University Extension 

 Manuals, 1892, price 7/6) by J. A. Thomson. It 

 explains the most advanced questions of zoological 

 science in a clear and interesting manner, and with a 

 charm of style unusual in the writings of scientific 

 specialists. 



At least a year should be devoted to the above 

 course of reading, premising that the reader has 

 other occupations besides the study of Zoology. 

 Having now gained some idea of what zoologists 

 " are driving at," as the popular saying is, the reader 

 will be ready to begin work. Huxley and Martin's 

 Lessons in Elementary Biology, taken in companion- 

 ship with Howes' Atlas of Biology, will show the 

 student what are the methods of accurate observation 

 by which the compendious knowledge given in text- 

 books has been arrived at ; and if he has ifc in him, 

 they will fetch out his instinct for practical work, and 

 induce him to obtain specimens and start on the course 

 of dissection which is described. If he finds he has an 

 aversion for this, he will be able to ascertain whether 

 it arises from a dislike to handling " corpses," how- 

 ever small, or (as is quite as likely) from mere idle- 

 ness and want of love of accuracy, by noticing if he 

 gets on any better with the vegetable forms described 

 in the same books. If this is not the case, he may 

 make sure that he is merely too idle to make a 

 zoologist. For the most industrious student, how- 



